Mum spent days taking drugs with then-partner as baby son died from ‘severe neglect’, court told

A court has been told of a mum’s chilling drug use that lasted for days as her baby son lay dying from “severe neglect”. WARNING: Distressing

WARNING: Distressing content

A baby boy was left to die by his mother from “severe neglect” after she and her then partner spent days consuming drugs while he was deprived of his most basic needs, a court has been told.

In the week before her son Dexter was found dead in her Ipswich home south of Brisbane, Natalie Jade Whitehead handed the child over to the boy’s paternal aunt, who stayed out in the rural town of Tara for several days.

Dexter had nappy rash so severe it was bleeding, Brisbane Supreme Court was told.

The 8½-month-old baby was returned to Whitehead 38 days later in good health, with his nappy rash mostly resolved.

But just five days later Whitehead made a panicked triple-0 call, saying Dexter was “completely gone”.

Police found the child with the same severe nappy rash and lesions on his thighs and groin area – indicating he had been dead for “some time”, the court was told.

Baby Dexter died of ‘severe neglect’ in 2019 after his mother Natalie Jade Campbell took drugs for days while he was in the nearby bedroom, a court has been told. Picture: Supplied

Baby Dexter’s horrific condition was laid bare in court as Whitehead pleaded guilty on Thursday to the child’s manslaughter on June 21, 2019.

A charge of misconduct with a corpse was dropped by the Crown.

The court was told Whitehead, her then partner Andrew William Campbell and Dexter lived at a unit in Ipswich at the time of the offending.

Crown prosecutor Matt Le Grand said Whitehead spent “days” consuming drugs with Mr Campbell before Dexter died and did not attend to his needs.

Whitehead told police she put Dexter to bed the night before June 21, 2019, Mr Le Grand said.

The court was told she put the heater on in the bedroom and closed the door.

Dexter suffered ’severe and acute dehydration and acute malnutrition’. Picture: Supplied

A specialist pediatrician had opined that Dexter had suffered “severe neglect” of food and fluids and the hours preceding his death would have been “physically and emotionally” distressing.

The neglect the child suffered led to “severe and acute dehydration” and acute malnutrition that led to the fatal outcome.

“(Whitehead) chose to nourish her drug habit over her infant children,” Mr Le Grand said.

Mr Campbell is also charged with Dexter’s manslaughter and his matter is still before the courts.

Joshua Fenton, Whitehead’s barrister, told the court that his client had expressed remorse for her actions.

“A plea here today is public acceptance she killed her baby,” Mr Fenton said.

He asked for a head sentence of eight years with parole eligibility after serving four years behind bars.

Whitehead has been on remand since her arrest in 2020.

Mr Fenton said his client has never held paid employment since 2012, telling the court she did not complete a hairdressing apprenticeship after leaving school.

He said she had found work while in custody, making clothes and “other clothed goods” for other prisoners.

The court was told Whitehead had also experienced domestic violence throughout her relationships that had led to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Supreme Court Justice Catherine Muir will deliver her sentence on Thursday afternoon.

Originally published as Mum spent days taking drugs with then-partner as baby son died from ‘severe neglect’, court told